Fit in or Stand out?

We all live in comfort zones and find it really difficult to part away with it. But such is life, it will bring challenges and will expect you to raise yourself above the petty things and aim at the goal that is set higher. If you are a regular at the blog, then you would know that I love looking for inspiration from people in my life, everyday people like you and me! And so today it’s going to be my eldest niece, Mariah but I love calling her Ammu.

Ammu until this June was studying at the Indian School grade 5, one of the most prestigious CBSE schools in the Oman and was in the CBSE (I) curriculum, which is far more relaxed and than the regular CBSE. However when we decided upon putting Smera into an international school known for strong academics and extra-curricular activities, Ammu seemed excited about this new school for her.

It wasn't going to be a task as she just managed to clear her entrance test in Math and the second challenge set for her was French as opposed to Hindi was going to be the second language and she would have to catch up on her French. The third challenge for Ammu was to make new friends and so far it was easy for her as she joined and grew up from a toddler into a confident and popular 10 year old girl. Now it was going to all back to square one and at 10 it’s a bit more difficult to fit in.

But in all of this she had an advantage as she had an extra month of vacation which she utilised very wisely and got herself enrolled for Math and French coaching. As a result of the challenge that was set in front her, she pushed herself to the limits and in the very first test in French she scored a 100/100 and in Math she scored an 87/100. Since the first week her academic scores have been getting better the ever.

Simultaneously she has been making friends too in her peers and superiors but it is a bit longer process than she had expected. She is trying to make friends without changing the person she is and believe me it’s a tough ask for a 10 yr old. I keep reminding her of all the good parts of her character, while some days are tough but some days are super cool. The problem with the kids at her age is they without realising end up hurting, or bullying their peers. But what is important is not to lose your identity to become one of them.

In life I've learnt that trials are a great way to progress ahead in our lives. Sometimes they may make us feel excited and enthusiastic, while others simply are meant to overwhelm us.  The key is to never to lose your confidence, you may lose everything and get it back with firm belief in yourself. My advice for you and every child would be not to hesitate in taking chances and appreciate whatever you've have learned from a tough situation and you must also understand that every step is necessary in this journey called Life!

I know you've always enjoyed Dr. Seuss, he once said "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”.  Taking a cue from Dr. Seuss, there is wonderful song that I am leaving for you and I feel best describes your situation. I Love You and you make me very proud girl!! 

Sweet November !!

I love this month! Got god’s best blessing – my Ma, met my hubby for the very first time 11 years ago and also got the most precious gift of my life – my daughter Smera! They all celebrate their birthdays in November. All the scorpions in my life have been the best bunch of crazy rock-stars that make my life electrifying!  

Little Smera celebrates her birthday today as she turned all of 4 years! This year had been tough for her especially with us shifting countries, making new friends, to new schools, but she managed all of it with her charming smile and few tears too alongside. With each passing year, she is becoming crazier like me. I never thought I would say it this early but, “Smera your questions are way too smart for mamma to give you all the answers”.

You are my best friend and my partner in crime. We laugh n cry n tickle n dance sometimes all in the same hour! With you I am getting to re-live me childhood and that is surely the best part of having you! I love it when you give me your lap to sleep and scold your daddy when he troubles me. God bless you girl and here is just as I promised the Princess Elsa cake for your birthday.

You are also becoming naughtier by the day, however I will confess, I love it when you giggle after you have done something mischievous. While I have to confess I am not a perfect mum by any means but you have always made feel proud by just being yourself. However I am little worried about your future plans of wanting to become a fashion show girl, super-heroine girl and Barbie, I hope this year you would find something reasonable real soon. 

Here’s a little piece of advice for this year – be tough, don’t shy but never let anyone make you cry, spread smiles and always remember Mamma and Daddy will always stand by your side!

My girl turns 3 !!

Three years ago, this exact day I was blessed with a little baby girl. As she turns three today, the best part of being her parent is seeing her smile everyday in the morning. This year has been yet another spectacular roller-coaster ride for us and Smera and through the year many milestones were achieved this year too.

gettyimages.ae

She can talk, make full sentences, sometimes even scold us or publicly embarrass (more on that in my next post). She can now successfully somersault, strike a couple yoga poses and peddle tricycle without falling down and fracturing her hand. Breaking her wrist was the toughest part of the year, I think I must have cried more than her. Even through all that pain and irritation she showed us how brave she is. At least she was much more than me.

She has become more social and loves talking to the ladies. She would love to look at their dress, touch their earrings, if she is lucky might even get them put her some lipstick. While she is still a little vary of the men, actually to be honest she can give dirty looks to men and scare them off too. I kind of feel secure that way!

Another milestone she reached that now she is fully potty-trained and has been diaper-free for the last few months. Infact this was one of the milestones that got delayed a bit, as she was scared to sit on the pot. I had to bribe her with lipstick, to get her sitting on the potty throne initially.

Yes you heard it right, a potty throne that is what it is called – a separate miniature toilet, designed for kids to be trained. But thanks to her cousin sister Amy, she has finally been upgraded to big the pot. Thank god I don’t have carry her throne anymore now. Phew!

Above all this year we have become more of friends, we fight, we kiss and make up. Love to snuggle into each other and then when daddy comes home complain about each other. Now I enjoy when the husband is travelling and it’s just the two of us alone at home, doing all girlie things together, watching her favourite Cinderella or Peppa pig.

gettyimages.ae

Our relationship reminds me of mine with my mother when I was growing. She has got all my bad habits, keeps calling me Mamma all the time, whether there is a need or not. However the funniest bit was once, she says, “mamma you look like my sister!” It’s something I always tell about my mum that she looks like my sister and the little one must have picked up this somewhere from one of our conversations.

I am a very strict parent and maybe you might even find me scolding her all the time, but that is because I want her to be world’s best child. When you grow and read this one, I want you to know mamma loves you a lot. Thank you so much for making our lives so special. God bless you, may you grow up to be a wonderful girl and I am sure success would follow you.

Happy birthday Smera!

My Best Friend’s Wedding (and) I was the Bride

I have known my hubby for almost 10 years now. We met at Ahmedabad for the very first time where I was doing my post-graduation course at MICA. Our first meeting was on 10th of November, his birthday, the meeting was really awkward but from there on was no stopping.

At first we were very good friends, we used to chat on yahoo and would have long and expensive conversations on the phone. He was my friend, philosopher and pillar of my strength. We were always in different cities and but still we connected somehow with each other from the time we got to know each other.

Gettyimage.ae

A year later I moved to Mumbai and he was set to leave for Dubai on a new assignment. It was that day that I realised that I could not stay without him. He has carved a very special place in my heart with his honest and innocent self, that the very thought of him moving away gave me shivers.

I don’t remember that exact day but it was really special, I had found true love. I couldn't stop smiling while going in a local train back home thinking of him. What could be better than falling in love with your best friend? It was surprising for many as were two very different people, very different backgrounds yet we came together.

The toughest phase was when we broke the news at home, with him being Christian and I came from a Hindu family, everyone was against it. I moved to Doha, him in Dubai, we could have met several times but we never did, since he respected my hesitation in not lie to my family. 

I finally gave up on our relation since my parents wouldn't accept him, but he is kept his calm during that time when I stopped speaking to him. Mystically my mom realised that I would be happy him and gave us a go ahead and within matter of months were married. It was almost after a year I saw him again, just the day before our quite wedding. That moment was priceless to see, talking through our eyes as my parents were still not so enthusiastic about it.

And somewhere in all of this I felt, my mom had distanced herself from me and that for me was very painful. Nobody could understand that pain, but Saju with his love and affection got me back my mum back and I can’t thank him for that.

The best part in our relation has been our friendship that is where we started from, our respect for each other and just being ourselves but all this wouldn't have happened if we hadn't met on that 10^th of November.

For me that is our platinum day of love, his birthday is still reminds of that silly meeting -our awkwardness and how our relationship has grown from there on. Thank you for just being the person you are and accepting me with all flaws, giving me my parents back and our precious little Smera.

Happy Birthday Saju! 

This post part of the Platinum Day of Love contest at Indiblogger.in 

Eid holidays with Green Turtles

We are back home from our little Eid holidays trip and all settled back into our routine. It was a refreshing little break to my bro-in-laws place in Muscat.  The best part was the little family reunion - Smera with catching up her cousins sisters and brothers and the night long gossip sessions with the sister-in-law.  However the highlight of the trip was our visit to Ras-al-Hadd, very famous for its green turtle nesting conservatory. 

After couple of hours drive from the Muscat and overtaking countless rocky mountains on either side, we pulled up to this place on a secluded beach. The beach house belonged to one of our family friends and was all ours for the duration of our stay. We settled in at once after a bit of cleaning up. It was around 8 at night when we tucked in the noodles and chicken and waited eagerly for the turtle trail.

It was a moonlit night and there is nothing like walking on the beach with cool breeze hitting your face and sand in your shoes. We were a gang of 11, silently waiting to see the Green Turtles to come towards the land to lay eggs. In the mean time, we made sure we kept the kids occupied by making sand castles and interconnecting network of underground tunnels – it was so much fun that even the adults enjoyed it.

From a distance we could see a few of the turtles slowly walking towards the land, the waves helping them come ashore. The slowly walk towards the land and find a good spot lay eggs. It takes them about 10-15 minutes to dig a safe for them to lay eggs and once done they would cover it up, for them hatch. 

The entire experience was breathtaking, every element of the nature helps nest here. The moon gives them enough light, the waves help the come on to the shore, take them back once they are ready to go back and lastly the sand provides a safe nest for eggs to hatch safely. Once the eggs hatch the tiny new-baby turtle would quickly rush off to the sea. It’s magical to see them swiftly walking towards the waves, the noise from the waves guides them home.

However there is a catch to it, you cannot make noise, use big torch and click picture as it would disturb and the local guide makes all this rule perfectly clear before the start of the tour. They would end tour right then if we break even once single rule.

Oman takes pride in the fact that the Green turtles have chosen their land to nest. With great care they make sure no harm is done to them. During the conversation, the guide mentioned that some the tagged turtles have been tracked as far as Africa. If you are anytime around visiting Oman then I would highly recommend you to visit this incredible place, almost close to heaven on Earth. To add cherry on the top the drive from Muscat to Ras al Hadd is picturesque, definitely one not to be missed. 

The morning after the viewing the turtles, catching the glimpse of the Sun rising!! 

Heading to the waves 

Lost the path a bit but the sunshine helped him get back!

Breakfast time

Looking out for some more

Sunshine and morning walk is good everybody's health, including this one's 

Good riddance to a clumsy week

The last week had been an ultimate compilation of silly happenings. A great deal of nonsensical things took place that I am forced to put it on list as if I was going to present this first thing tomorrow morning at work.

1. Christmas is two months away and the little one is already getting into the festive mood, blame it on the school for practising well in advance for their Christmas Concert. On the weekend while driving to grab a bite, I hear my daughter sing “one ho open snake, hey jingle bells”. I am sure even the sweet Santa would not love the idea of a snake on his sleigh.

Image: Sangrywords

2. While mall-hopping I decided to tryout a pair of cool walking shoes, putting them on I got tempted to check out it in the mirror if looked as good as they fit. Thud !! – was the next sound that everyone heard. It so happened that in my excitement I didn’t realise that the shoes were strung together with a thin, plastic tag almost invisible to my eye.

 

Image: gettyimage.ae

3. Picking up myself from the embarrassing situation, I quickly evacuated the store. Of course with the shoes and I saw the hubby sitting on a barber’s chair.  Of course it wasn’t for a haircut (thank god for that), it was really for the smiling ladies who wanted him to tryout sample of Nivea’s new shaving gel.

4. Adding to all the humor in our lives, the newly rented apartment too has been acting funny with us. A little over a week and we still have not switched on the AC. The apartment is extremely cold for our liking, especially for my hubby who has lived in tropical part of India all his life.

I am not blaming him but even the coconut oil in my pantry is frozen. To top it up, my mum who is just the opposite is planning a visit soon and she has promised to bring us sweaters and mufflers, as she cannot live without the AC in Dubai. If possible she would love for us to shift to Alaska.

5. Another incident not really silly conversely flattering for me, that I was asked to show up my id at the bar to make sure I am not under the age of 21. Old enough to have a drink! There yet again a santoor moment for me but extremely hilarious thinking that the silly guy thought of me couple of years younger (ahem) than I was.

6. Lastly on Friday on morning I suddenly notice ❤beinghuman ‏ following me on twitter, that meant Salman Khan following me. I am huge fan of the star, so jumping in joy, I was about to announce this news to the whole world on my blog, facebook and twitter account, just then I realise it’s not really the star but it just a fellow blogger called Sanjay Valliath.

Image: Sangrywords

So on that note I just realised that this blog has given me a wonderful way to put up life’s little moments. And growing up my favourite song then and even now is “Taking it easy” by Eagles. The past week was been somewhat like that taking it easy, with my house settled, silly things happening again to us and finding joy in life’s little moments. 

Cheers! 

Perspirer turns Inspirer !

I think every person is blessed to do something great, it’s upon us find what our goal would be. I love to find inspiration in everyday life. That’s the time when I look around myself, for people who are central in my life to seek inspiration. That’s what keeps me going! It can be rather difficult to search for optimism especially when the chips are down.

I have been feeling extremely lazy for the last few weeks. Blame it on the weather turning it’s course or just me. I have been shying from the gym, blogging or anything social for that matter. All I want is to sleep! With this on my mind, today I am going to write about a dear friend who is my current inspiration.

We go back really long. Childhood buddies, studied together from 2^nd grade in the same class. Though I moved to different, school, cities and countries but none of that changed our friendship. Anika or meri wala Mickey as I love to call her has really inspired me this week. She currently lives in Hyderabad, miles away from Dubai and we have not even spoken for good 5-6 months. Even then she has inspired my lethargic soul this week.

Instructor @ Zumba Fitness with Anika 

My bestie used work in the journalism field but now she has chosen to move away that and follow her passion Zumba.  With some rigorous training and driven by her enthusiasm, she is now a certified Zumba fitness instructor. She takes Zumba classes along with some freelance editing work. 

What makes the story really special is that Anika and I have struggled with our weight since childhood days. While the problem for her was a little heavier than mine. I have always seen her wanting to look slimmer in life, forgetting the fact she was prettier than all of us. As life got busy she found no time to take care of herself and she became a bit chubbier for her liking.

Everyone including her parents, siblings, and friends would ask her to lose weight, but none of them understood one thing that it was not as easy as saying. To be frank no one can understand how difficult it is getting started until they are themselves in that situation. Once you get the start, it’s more challenging to keep the momentum going on.

And then came time when all girls want to be in love and get married, the weight and long working hours would become a big issue. That’s when even with a super-hectic schedule she decided to push herself for walks and gym. Her dedication to challenge herself and her working schedule, made her achieve in goal. She got married to a wonderful man, who accepts her just as she is and encourages her to choose the healthier life.

Basking in her found love with her hubby Nikhil, she is dancing her way into a fitter and happier life and inspiring lazy souls like me sitting miles away in a coffee shop. 

Do show some love and visit Anika's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ZumbaFitnessWithAnika

For those reading in Hyderabad please do try a free demo class! 

Go talk a walk!

Ok the truth is I am not a big fan Valentine’s Day, why should we express our love to our loved ones only once a year! I say it all the time, especially when I need his credit card or I need him to take the little one out.

However with all that said, Valentine’s Day is falling on a Thursday.  It gives me just another silly reason to go out on a date-night. So before I made any plans I thought of checking, if had he have any prior work commitments on Thursday.

Me: Honey, how is your Thursday evening looking like, will you be busy?

Hubby: I think not!

Me: Then let’s go out, what do you think?

Hubby: Sounds like a good plan, what about the baby-sitter?

Me: That is taken care of

Hubby: Then let’s go out for a walk on the beach road.

Me: Walk on the beach road? (Thinking in my head: Sounds romantic, but just a walk, may be a dinner too??)

Hubby: Yeah, I have been planning to do the half-marathon for sometime now, let’s do it this Thursday!

Image: gettyimages.ae

Then slowly I get back to work, pretending I didn’t hear that bit of the conservation. Knowing my hubby so well, it’s a given that was purely an innocent remark. He might not even have realised that it’s Valentines.

For rest of the men folk here is my piece of advice – A half-marathon on weekend night, double it up on a Valentines Day – A sure shot way of getting in wifey’s bad books for the rest of the year! 

Two much

This month started with a quick trip back home, just what I needed to get into the year-end festive mode. November is really special for me with most of my loved ones celebrating their birthdays and also not to forget the festivities of the Hindu calendar that gives us copious reasons to eat sumptuous sinful food.

Oh actually festivities really start end of October for me with my little sister Kukku who her celebrates her birthday on the 27^th October.

Here’s wishing a very warm happy birthday to Vishakha (kukku), Nivia, Mum, Hubby, Smera, Kristina, Veda and Simi. Let the god lord fill your lives with happiness, good health and peace. Each and every one of you make my life really extra special.

The month has now become all the more special with the arrival of my two lovely nephews born to my sister-in-law Simi. The boys have turned up unusually 9 weeks early and I am yet to meet them, but I am sure they will definitely out do the notorious feats their sisters have achieved so far.

With the change in the weather my little one had taken ill for most part of this month. That hasn’t dampened her festive spirit at all. Actually I think the 5% alcohol in her medicine must have played a big role in making her so cheerful. Turning 2 this year Smera has mastered the Happy Birthday song and so when on Diwali, the day after her birthday as we lit candles and did a little pooja she started singing happy birthday ammboti (that is what she fondly calls God).

Before I sign out I want to leave a little message for you Smera to read when you grow up.

Happy birthday my little angel, may god bless and grant all your wishes. Even though I never get tired of complaining about you to everyone I meet. You make us so proud and give us numerous reasons to smile each day. I am sure this third year is going to be even more exciting, challenging and thrilling as the past two years have been. Keep living upto your name which of course means smile. Keep smiling!

Love,

Mamma

Image courtesy: google.com 

Dear daddy ...

To my Daddy,

A week in and I still cannot find the right line to start. Last week went by re-living my childhood memories thinking of the time we spent together, the jokes we shared, the fights we had, the lessons I learnt and the times you’ve been there for me (that would be all the time!).

You and I are so similar – when it comes to getting angry or having fun. I miss those days when we would watch Malayalam movies on weekend together without knowing the name of the movie and more recently when you and ma were here last year on Smera’s arrival. I miss those days when you would wake me up and rush me to get to school on-time, picking me up after college and discussing politics over tea.

Even then, it took me my first stint of living away from home to realise how much I love you and amma. But the best was yet to come - my admiration for you both are unexplainable in words now that I am a mother to Smera. It’s a tough task and you have all my sympathies now for all that I have put you through.

Of course there are numerous things I still need to learn from you. The one that tops my mind first is being disciplined, in life and more particularly about my health. Someone asked why are you so fixated about your weight?  Without a slightest bit of delay my answer was – “You have not seen my mom and dad”. Sometimes I really feel ashamed that I can’t even match half your energy at my age. Another thing I truly love about is your take it easy attitude, I know how much you hate the word tension, and just on this one occasion I wish if I was not like ma. 

Dad, I know I don’t say this very often– you are the best dad I could have asked for and I can’t thank you enough for giving us a good life.  You have given me a great mother and a wonderful brother and on your 60th birthday, I just want to say – I love you.

Happy Birthday!!

P.S. – I remember you got very emotional watching the movie Baghban and had tears in your eyes. Well that’s not going to happen to you, we are going to take good care of you. But instead you and me can author a hilarious comedy writing our life stories. Tell me what you think of it?  

Image courtesy: corbis.com

Twice as Versatile?

I was recently given the 'Versatile Blogger Award' by Iamlonelytoes and PurpleChronicle.  It may appear as the blogosphere equivalent of chain-mails, but if you think about it, it's got to be good to be recognised by your peers. Thank you Joriel and Kajal!

According to The Versatile Blogger Award rules one has to:

§         Add a picture of the award in your post.

§         Thank the award giver.

§         Share 7 random facts about you.

§      Nominate 15 other bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award and let them know that they've been nominated.

Here is my list of 7 random things-

1. I love to talk. A LOT. My report cards always had ‘very talktive’ remark on them.
2. I don’t sweat much on my face just get hot flush. I secretly pray that one day I can also sweat like everyone else.
3. I was once served chewing gum in my KFC. Yikes !!!
4. I have lots of grey hair, more than my mum does. Sigh !!
5. I have a habit of saying the same thing in 3 languages – Hindi, English, Malayalam.
6. If I were given option either to die or eat fruits (esp banana), it would be a hard choice.
7. I suffer from passive road rage, I’ll tell you all about this in another post.

These are some of my favourite blogs, some new, some old but all are worth reading. Check them out when you get a chance.


Squeaky corner
Anzz café
Life unordinary
Indian ma
Madhusha
Awesome since ‘92
A beautiful mind
Musings and Reflections
Confessions of a Semi-Domesticated Mama
Nona Pensive
Arnab Maity Travel and Photography
Style by Eva diva
A Traveller's soul
Sandier pastures
Spilled milk shake

Real easy solutions for habitual Resolution-Breakers

Few more hours to go before the New Year and many of us should be busy finalizing the resolution list. Except that there is a problem with my resolutions every year – I find it extremely difficult to keep them beyond 7^th of January.

Determined to get it right this time, I have been trawling the net for those secret ingredients to keep resolutions real and lasting (more like 7 months). I have also taken time to reflect on my slip-ups (my walking challenge) and occasional successes (this blog) with resolutions.

I was on a quest to find out if there is a secret formula to make the resolutions successful. Though what I found during my research, kind of surprised me.  Whilst there is no precise formula, it looks like there are a number of simple steps you could follow to improve your chances of winning. Most of them are common sense stuff, though there are few odd counter-intuitive tips as well.

1.      Start – Surely this is the easiest thing to do. Make sure you do it

2.      Keep it real – Overnight success are stuff of movies, be true to yourself

3.      Keep it a secret – Do not publicize your goals before you even start – apparently your brain  interprets it as an achievement of the goal and affects your motivation to actually achieving the goal

4.      Celebrate Success – Positive reinforcement works like magic, make sure you celebrate every milestone

5.      Buddy-Up – Look around you and identify a source of encouragement and feedback – for that occasional push and to pull you out of the drenches when required

6.      Start Again – Expect to go off-track every so often, but important thing is to re-start

7.      Mix-it-Up – Variety, they say is the spice of life and indeed is at the heart of keeping your resolution routine interesting.

My resolution for this year then – well, that’s a secret. 


Image courtesy: Corbis.com

It's a winner !

It’s that part of the year when everything looks so dazzling, joyous and positive. Winters are back in Dubai, though it wouldn't match up to the standards of a proper winter, while this works just right for me. For all those who know me, would know how much I hate summers. High 40-45 degrees (Celsius of course) is definitely not my thing. I prefer going to the malls or anyplace that comes with a basement parking.

Winters make me a different person all together. I am in love with the Dubai weather these days - with glorious mornings, breezy afternoons, nippy evening, and mesmerizing late-nights. While the current weather in Dubai is nothing compared to the European winters or the one Delhi where I grew up.15 -17 degrees is cold for me here so I can't even imagine surviving the snow ever. What really makes the weather splendid in winter here is that we get a spell or two of rain but that's about it. 

I am very lazy most of the time during the year; however things are going to change now, doing things I really love - heading outdoors. I intend to make most of this winters and the approaching festive season as long it lasts.

§         Spend time more at the parks teaching Smera football

§         Barbequing with friends

§         Building sand castles

§         Put a swing for Smera in the balcony

§         Having friends and family to visit us

§         Start morning jogging routine (I hope at least this time the craze would last more 10 days)

§         Plan for UAE national day, Christmas and New years get-together

§         Visit the Ras al Khor wildlife sanctuary and Al-Ain Zoo

I will update you on how this goes on along the way. Till then Happy Winters !!

Happy Birthday Smera

It feels like yesterday, but it’s been a year today. Yes it has been a short 1 year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours or 525,600 seconds of constant anticipation and irregular intervals, numerous diapers and few disasters, frequent sleeplessness and occasional helplessness. I can go on and on – here is a starter for 3

1.     Smiley Frowns

Smera means smile in Sanskrit. However, in real life she frowns a lot. Many of our friends have been at the receiving end of her intense if not intimidating stare. If you manage to survive the initial test, you would soon witness how she lives up to her name.

2.     Who is crying and why?

What would you expect from someone who is on a high-calcium diet? Long finger nails, of course! The impact of long finger nails during the exploratory stage is a scratchy face. I finally managed to muster some courage to undertake this delicate task of shaping Smera’s nails.

After a number of failed attempts, I got her nails between the blades of the clipper – or so I thought. The next thing I heard was a loud scream, I obviously had missed the target by a millimeter – so instead of cutting the nail I had cut her skin.

The next thing Saju heard though is two loud screams – one of the daughter and then the louder version that of the mother. Rushing in to help he was at loss to figure out what had happened and who to console first!

3.     Smera, Sameera or Sameer

We thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of finding the name, Smera. However, one of the problems of having an unusual name is that people usually pronounce it wrong. We have heard a number of versions, but the popular ones are Sara, Sameera and Sameer. This confusion has reached its peak after Smera got her head shaved recently giving her a boyish-look.

It’s been a great first year. Happy birthday Smera baby!

Image courtesy: www.specialtycakecreations.com 

Strong-Will or Treadmill ?

Indian festivals and celebrations are synonymous with a customary overdose of sweets. Even though I pride myself for not having a sweet tooth, Diwali is different - the spread of sweets makes even a die-hard savory fan like me go weak at the knees. This is in part triggered by my childhood memories of Diwali celebrations and I blame the rest on kaju-barfi.

I don’t know how I came to love this diamond shaped combination of cashew, sugar, milk, dry fruits and edible silver foil. What I know though is that I can have a whole box in a single sitting and anyone who can resist a bite must have a steely resolve. Kaju Barfi, for me are pieces of pure happiness and contentment.

What I also know is that, every time I have had a generous helping, the happiness fades quickly and calorie guilt kicks in. With over 500Kcal packed into every 100grams (about 3 pieces) and a family history of diabetes, I think I am perfectly justified being on a guilt trip.

If I feel this way, imagine the plight of a person who is diabetic or someone trying to diet. Diwali brings with it a sinful plate of temptations along with the festive cheer. This definitely should be one of the most vulnerable periods that could squash months of labour that kept the notorious glucose levels in check.

So what really is 500 calories? It is about 25% of what you require daily. It is equivalent of pounding on the treadmill for nearly an hour. Now that is a scary thought – an hour of treadmill for paltry 3 pieces of kaju barfi.